Friday, 30 April 2010

Day 2 is my first day at the festival and started off with the screening of the lovely film Women with the 5 Elephants. Vlog is a little dark, so maybe just listen as this film is well worth hearing about.

Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival runs from April 29 - May 9, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday April 30, 2010! It's a great week for film here in Toronto. Not only has Hot Docs just started but we have 2 Canadian releases hitting screens today. Let's take a look at what's out there.

In limited release this week we begin with Passenger Side, a Canada's Top Ten 2009 selection and it's a unique urban road movie starring Adam Scott and Joel Bissonnette as brothers on an inadvertent joint journey around town. Although set in the States, the dry wit and brilliant dialogue is where it shows it's distinctly Canadian stamp. The humour and dynamic between the two leads is fantastic, I'd recommend checking out Passenger Side while you can. We also have the inspired by true story baseball film The Perfect Game and two films from India: English Butler Masala Chai and Housefull.

In wide release this week we have our second Canadian release of the week with the western/comedy Gunless starring Paul Gross as an American gunslinger who find himself in a Canadian town and no one to pick a fight with. Yes, a western/comedy... haven't seen one of those in a while! Also in wide release if A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), a re-make of Wes Cravens 1984 classic horror film this time starring Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children, The Bad News Bears) as Freddy Kruger and Rooney Mara as Nancy. The horror re-make in the past few years haven't had the results, but I know I'll be giving Nightmare a go because I just can't resist being fond of the original and horror in general. Last up is family comedy Furry Vengeance starring Brendan Fraser as a real estate developer who faces the ultimate protesters - nature itself retaliates, with fur and vengeance.

Be sure to check out my daily coverage of Hot Docs here at Movie Moxie from April 30 - May 9, 2010 for reviews throughout the festival. If you are trying to decide what to go see I've put up a festival preview, reviewed some of the festival films already here and here.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Hot DocsCanadian International Documentary Film FestivalApril 29 - May 9, 2010 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, CanadaSee Movie Moxie coverage of Hot Docs hereMaximum Exposure Film FestRyerson School of Image Arts graduate and end of year showApril 30 - May 2, 2010, at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Thursday, 29 April 2010

Tonight is the big opening night for Hot Docs bringing two sure to be crowd pleasing experiences with Babies and Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage. I'm saving my strength for the remaining 10 days of the festival where I'm hoping to catch about 30 films. I had the opportunity to sneak in a few films that I couldn't quite fit in my actual schedule, but still I knew I had to see. Here are some highlights from those films. Amazing how a common theme in these films is not only thinking outside the box but also a great combination of awareness of 'the system' and creative ways to work with, without or around it. I like that kind of thinking.

Be sure to also check out my reviews of selections from the NFB films at the festival this year and come back for daily coverage here at Movie Moxie throughout the festival.

I knew in an instant that I would have to see Disco and Atomic War. Not just because 'disco' was in the title (although, that could easily be enough), but the fact that is set in Estonia and is about highjacking TV signals from Finland during the cold war, I mean who could resist? The Baltic connection is what pulled it from curious to a must-see, being Latvian myself but living in Canada my whole life, I'm always very curious of any films from that region. I'll admit I wish had seen this one with an audience because there is a lovely and dry sense of humour when it comes to portraying the predicament of hijacking Finnish TV signals in Estonia, because we deal with a lot of funky pop culture as well as the beauty of trends that sprout up like weeds regardless of their contraband connection. From Dallas to disco, pop culture is an undeniable treat that people want to and will do their best to acquire. It gracefully blends earnest re-enactments with fantastic archival footage with a homegrown tone that has an understated mischievous tone that keeps you wondering, and smiling, throughout.

Disco and Atomic War plays at Hot Docs on:Friday April 30, 2010 at 9:15pm at the ROM and Saturday May 1, 2010 at 2pm at Cumberland 2

This film is the first time heard the terms Handicrafted films. Images of macrame instantly came to mind but only the craftiness of that spirit needs apply, the knots can be left at home. The Peddler shows us one of many journeys with Daniel Burmeister who travels from village to village in Argentina making films in the villages in exchange for room and board. Using locals as the actors, he brings a wonderful enthusiasm to the process of creating the films in and with the town. People light up when they are asked to be included in the film, and even though there are bumps on the road along the way, everyone has a good time being involved. It's a refreshing an open-style film making format that brings so much more out to play than a strict bottom line. Warm & inviting, it brings a wonderful sense of joy from everyone involved.

The Peddler plays at Hot Docs on:Monday May 3, 2010 at 6:45pm at Innis and Wednesday May 5, 2010 at 1:15pm at Cumberland 2

I could have sworn this one was Canadian. But, no it's from USA and follows stories from Seattle seniors, Toronto cyclists, to a New Yorker all who have a common goal travelling freedom. Whether it's literally trying to get from A to B in the shortest time, or wanting to empower pedestrians, it all stems from the overwhelming car-focused culture of North American, mostly but not exclusively urban centres. I'm a big fan of power of the pedestrian, and loved seeing the Toronto footage, but that just makes it extra special experience but it's a powerful message and it's inspiriting to see people working towards taking the pavement back. It's told very organically as opposed to a straight-up talking head doc, and is very open to the challenges that you can face in this scenario. I loved the spirit of the film and how it wasn't about purely thinking out of the box, which is really important, but it's also very aware of the box in the room and that you have to deal with that box as a box. It might not be your box, but it's there. This made A Different Path a very refreshing documentary to see, it also used a storytelling style that has a very textural quality to it, incorporating different tones and techniques. In effect, it's walking it's own walk by shaking up the way we see things while at the same time showing us people who are shaking up things themselves. I loved that, not only does it give a creative quality to the film and is visually interesting, but the film resonates with integrity because it brings the same message in multiple formats. Very inspiring.

A Different Path plays at Hot Docs on:Friday May 7 , 2010 at 7:15pm at Innis and Sunday May 9, 2010 at 6:30pm at Cumberland 3

Above: Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio

Renegade architects. Yes, renegade architects. That is the focus of Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio which shares the vision of the late Samuel Mockbee who founded the Rural Studio, which has a program that works to create housing for people in need and often makes it the shelters through recycled materials and innovative techniques. It's a beautiful portrait and vision that we see continues to carried on through the school. It also looks at architecture from different perspectives from interviews, and reveals that not everyone has the same vision and showcases different elitisms within the field and within housing in general. Housing is one of the few things that in general, everyone needs to have and it has a serious impact on people - it's amazing to see the different points of view from dwellers to builders on what they think and more interestingly can be who knows what's best. Very informative and inspiring.

Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio plays at Hot Docs on:Saturday May 1, 2010 at 7:15pm at Innis and Tuesday May 4, 2010 at 2pm at the ROM

The NFB is a true stamp of quality when it comes to Canadian documentary film, a place where we are already had a long history of documentary film. I always look forward to their offerings at festivals and this year with Hot Docs I am once again was extremely satisfied with the the quality, creativity and important stories that resonate in the films they bring to screens. Here are some highlights.

Hearing people talk about The "Socalled" Movie with a joyful enthusiasm let me know that it was one I couldn't miss at the festival. A portrait on the artist (including musician, magician and filmmaker) Socalled, we are privy to performances, jam sessions and interviews where we see things you'd never imagine being put together blend seamlessly together. One of the most prominent pairings is hip hop and klezmer music, which I admit gave me a giggle to think of them together but when you hear it, it's so beautiful you wonder why they ever were apart. The film is filled with personal history, projects, interviews with or about Socalled, where we get to see many different aspects of his creative life and how he has a beautiful curiosity to pull what would normally feel oddly juxtaposed to feel like old friends together again. In part it has a why not? perspective that is truly and inspiring. Why not put klezmer and funk together? Do it & see what happens, because it could be a beautiful thing. What we see over and over again is that it truly is a beautiful thing.

FlawedDir: Andrea DorfmanCanada, 12 minutes

A true gem of a film, exploring one womans journey through her relationship not only with other people but also herself and her own body. The journey is also told visually as we watch stories come to life through ink and paint. Honest and revealing Flawed is absolutely priceless and it's beauty brought me to tears of joy through it's openness and bravery.

A brave and telling journey portrait of a woman who life brings her from India to Edmonton through an arranged marriage to unexpected results. Passionate and personal, it's an inspiring story dealing with both conflict of courage.

Life with Murder follows a very tragic family history. Starting with a very normal family of four, 2 parents and 2 kids, living pretty normal lives until a crime if committed that changes the family unit in a way that is hard to imagine. The suprizing thing about the scenario is it highlights how much can be left unsaid and what this can do to family dynamics. Understaned and respectfully handled, we see how the family actively chooses to deal with a horrifying event. Although the question hovers on if it's patience or denial, it's shows a truly unique perspective on dealing with different kinds of loss. The film comes together as life often does, as the puzzle pieces of life are brought together without starting with the full picture.

Warnings:Life with Murder does include real crime scene photos and footage

Check them out at the festival:

The "Socalled" Movie plays at Hot Docs on:Sunday May 2, 2010 at 9:15pm at the Bloor and Tuesday May 4, 2010 at 11:30am at ROM

Flawed plays with Small Wonders on:Friday April 30, 2010 at 9:30pm at Cumberland 2 and Sunday May 2, 2010 at 5pm at Innis

Namrata plays with In the Name of the Family on:Saturday May 1, 2010 at 7pm at the Royal and Sunday May 9, 2010 at 6:45pm at the Bader

Life with Murder plays at Hot Docs on:Saturday May 1 at 9:45pm at the Bader and Sunday May 9, 2010 at 3:45 at the Bloor

With Hot Docs 2010 starting less than 24 hours, it's hard to believe the that it's been over a month since the original press conference and posting my first preview of the festival. Yesterday I headed up to the box office at Hazelton Lanes and I don't think I had been in there since last years festival! With many of the screenings going rush, it's good to know that some of the festival favourites screenings have been been inked in the schedule for the last weekend of the festival. Also on the schedule are the rooftop screenings, new this year at the festival and sure to be a fun experience complete with pre-show music performances.

I've been busy nailing down the schedule which has got me thinking about documentaries and how and why we pick which docs to see. I find that for me they can often fall into either end of the knowledge spectrum: I love seeing docs on films where I know and enjoy the subject matter, but also love seeing docs where I know absolutely nothing about the subject matter. Along with these types, portrait style documentaries focusing on one person or several with a joint theme or cause can also be very compelling - I know several of these are on my must-see list for this year. Awareness, personal journeys and overcoming challenges are also films that can resonate strongly and be very inspiring, I hope to see several of these this year as well. Now, let's take a look at a few on my must-see list:

Sport-centric Want to know about the world's third worst rugby team? Time to check out Freetime Machos. Yep. That's a no-brainer. They had me at rugby. Always a fan of sport films but rugby holds a special place in my heart because it's a sport I actually played. Can't wait for this one! B1 centres on a blind professional judo athlete. Yep. Another no-brainer. If that isn't inspirational I don't know what is.

Amazing WomenTwo portrait films that I'm very curious about are Anne Perry - Interiors on the mystery writer and comedian Joan Rivers - A Piece of Work. I've heard great things already about Dish: Women, Waitressing and the Art of Service, which may be my lone food related pick this year. Also very curious about the Sundance winning film Space Tourist, following a woman's $20 million trip to space. Wow. Talk about going for what you want.

CompellingHis & Hers program write up states "tells a 90-year love story through the collection voice of 70 Irish women". I can't begin to imagine what this is going to be like, so I know I have to see it. From love to music, another compelling premise comes with The "Socalled" Movie, focusing on musician Josh Dogin who combines funk and klezmer. It has to be seen to be believed.

Clip it to Ya!There films that make the must-see list are purely due to clips of the films being shown at the press conference, and I'm glad they did because the description alone may not have. First was Nénette focuses on an orangutan, then Steam of Life which is about men talking in saunas and lastly Complaints Choir which is literally about a choir that makes songs from complaints. Every single one charmed me over with the clips of the film.

Personal ConnectionsThen there are those films that you crave to see because you feel akin to the subject matter. Several of those this year including Disco and Atomic War is set in Cold War Estonia hijacking TV signals from Finland. Being Latvian, anything Baltic is a yes for me! Less personal but very prolific is The People vs. George Lucas, which makes this list as I grew up with Star Wars and it's still, and will likely always be, my favourite movie of all time. Plus I'm always interested in discussions on intellectual property, copyright and access which actually applies to both films. Yep. Learning and fun - you can't go wrong!

I hadn't heard much abut She-Wolf of London, but it was on the same DVD as Werewolf of London so I thought I would give it a go for The Wolfathon, especially as there don't seem to be to many femme focused werewolf films. The focus here is a lot more on the femme than the werewolfness though, although I appreciated the almost completely female focused of the sotry and characters. The primary cast is a trio of women: the young & engaged Phyllis Allenby (June Lockhart), her aunt Martha (Sara Haden) and Martha's daughter Carol (Jan Wiley) who all live together on the Allenby estate with (gasp!) no men in the house. Shocking, isn't it? Well it did come out in 1946 and they are actually rather playful with the gender dynamics which makes it pretty entertaining.

The ladies are just going about their lives when fear is raised from attacks in a nearby park and the now there is a mystery is on to solve regarding the cause. Intertwined into the mystery are family histories, romances and local folklore. The film feels like serial in a lot of ways, using a lot of the ideas and themes from werewolf films with it's own spin on things but overall doesn't bring too much new to the mix. It actually felt more like a just a straight up drama than a werewolf film, as there wasn't a lot of horror elements or effects involved but rather kept the focus of the mystery side of things while presenting themes of remorse and regret. As a werewolf film, it's not quite up to the others I've seen but it is an enjoyable watch.

All set for some action? Then get ready because Black is coming your way. A heist action flick that takes us from Paris to Senegal with the premise of the ultimate job takes the heist flick to a whole new level. MC Jean Gab'1 is a charismatic powerhouse as Black, our fearless hero that has a unique sense of style and opportunity. It is a very interesting choice to make a heist film where the main character has a fair range of emotional depth including remorse, this works very well in building unexpected sympathy for a character who is essentially a criminal. The fact that MC Jean Gab'1 exudes intense energy is what truly makes it work - you are always rooting for him no matter what is thrown at him which is anything and everything. Shot on location in Paris and Senegal we see a fantastic array of settings to explore and even with so many standards notes you hit in a heist film, there are so many twists and turns keeping us on our toes the entire time. It was also refreshing to see an action film that didn't play the stereotype for comedy game, but rather present and embrace strong characters of every variety. You certainly don't want to mess with any of them! The film truly has everything - action, totems, snakes, lions, diamonds, guns fights, car chases and the list goes on and on. A wild ride which I'd be happy to ride again.

I'm thrilled that this heist action flick is now available on DVD from Evokative Films. The DVD features French dialogue with optional English subtitles in yellow. The DVD packaging is an environmentally-friendly made of 100% recycled materials & totally sleek. The wrapping is 100% biodegradable cellophane.

DVD Extras: (In French & English)The packaging includes a booklet with an director's note and a foreword by Tim League (founder of the Alamo Theatres and co-founder of the Fantastic Fest) and film trailer

How to Train Your Dragon stays back on top again this week in the Canadian and North American Box Office in it's 5th week, although The Back-Up came up as a close second in both cases. Also in it's debut week is The Losers which opened at #4 in North America and #6 in Canada and The Secret in Their Eyes in limited release but still made the charts although in the high teens.

In the UK Date Night debuted in the #1 spot and went neck & neck in it's third week in Australia against Hot Tub Time Machine which nudged it's way to #1 there. New to the UK charts It's a Wonderful Afterlife which debuts at #7 and The Joneses at #10. When in Rome debuts in Australia at #6.

Overall it was a very quiet week for the box office which each and every #1 ending up being the lowest grossing #1's for each this year. Interesting to see that Avatar is still listing and making money at the box ffice even though it made it's DVD release last Thursday.

Tuesday, 27 April 2010

Pretty quiet week for DVDs this week, possibly due to Avatar mid-last week release on April 22, 2010 and the connection for the non-Tuesday release was to correspond with Earth Day.

Now on to DVD releases for April 27, 2010! First up we have an absolutely beautiful Canadian coming of age film Grown Up Movie Star which hit theatres and Sundance earlier this year. Keeping it femme we also have the Meryl Streep divorse comedy It's Complicated.

We also have the crime/thriller 5 Minutes in Heaven starring Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt from director Oliver Hirschbieg (The Invasion (2007), Downfall, Das Experiement)

Also in releases is a Limited Edition Collector's Gift Set ofWanted along with a sequel to The Descent, called ... you guessed it... The Descent 2.

Well, both Marina & I's got our hands on the New Moon DVD and so we had a chance to catch up on the extras on the 2-Disc and Borders copies so we talk about the commentary, documentary and some of the extended/deleted scenes on this week episode of Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast.

The results are in and the Team-of-Misfit-Action Flick that you think Looks the Best is Kick-Ass with a whopping 47%! My fave of the bunch (so far and likely will be after all being seen) is The Losers at 23% and maybe it makes sense that the real underdogs here came in second. Those both are in theatrical release right now so you can find out if you like them! Seems that people tend to like one or the other, and out of the two I'm definitely a The Losers fan.

Coming in third is The Expendables at 17%, which comes out August 13, 2010 and trailer for is just came out (I saw it with Kick-Ass screening!) for this action film with Sylvester Stallone directing as well as starring many of the action gurus including Dolph Lundgren, Jason Statham, Jet Li along with Steve Austin and Randy Couture.

Last up is The A-Team at 11%, and I think this one looks like a lot of fun as well. It hits screens June 11, 2010 and you can check out the trailer here. Looks of exciting looking films here, I found it hard to choose which film to pick on this poll!

Reason to see: How do I count the ways? Jeffrey Dean Morgan is always a yes. Chris Evans is always a yes. Bunch of misfit films are always a yes. Well, that's three reason before sitting in the theatre!

Yes! Finally a movie I can get 100% behind. I loved The Losers. It won me over very almost instantly and kept winning me over again and again throughout the movie. I knew going into it that there were a lot of elements I liked, but all of those elements it took and made them even better than I expected.

The group dynamic in the team is fantastic. They really feel like a group of people that not only know how to do their jobs really well, but also know each other so well that they know each others demenors, actions and thoughts as they go along. I love seeing and believing that. Because of this it makes them pretty self-aware to the point of getting away with acknowledging elephants in the room. This led for some great, and intelligent comedy that was really refreshing.

Technically, they feel a little less misfit-y than I thought going in as the 5 guys & 1 woman that make up the ensemble cast are actually all extremely skilled in each of their specified areas. Another plus there because expertise of any kind is a beautiful thing to see. Bonus points go to the awesome camaraderie within the group, making them one heck of a unique team.

Now, it is an action film so there is lots of blowing stuff up and guns and such. But... it technically wasn't very violent and there wasn't stupid random nudity thrown in either. I was already won over by this point, but this put me over the moon happy. It doesn't stop there because they level of action (i.e. not excessive) didn't feel like a trick to sneak it to be a lower rated film, because it actually matched the characters because they don't really want to hurt people. Now those are real heroes in my book.

The cast is what really makes it all gel together to be a very fun film watching experience. All of the performances were good here, which is key in a film with such a group dynamic. First up, I have to say that Chris Evans is spectacular. Unrelenting, hilarious performance that perfectly played endearing geekiness with a backbone. Loved him in this, really loved him. I also specifically though Óscar Jaenada was fantastic as the sniper savvy Cougar, especially given that he's got a fair amount of screen time but not tons of dialogue and still made quite an impression. Very impressive. I also thought Columbus Short was great as the lovable Pooch, who had such a big heart and I even liked Zoe Saldana as Aisha which I totally wasn't expecting. She's was pretty convincing and pretty bad ass.

If these are misfit, who'd want to be anything else. I want to be a Loser, because The Losers are my heroes.

Shannon's Overall View:I loved itI'll buy it & I might even see it again in the theatreI'd recommend it to fans of action films that have a heart

10 minutes of preshow including 4 commercials and 3 previews: The A-Team, Inception and Lottery Ticket

By the time I was sitting in the theatre to watch Kick-Ass, I had already seen the trailer 8 times this year. Not because I hit replay on Apple Trailers, but because it played in front of 8 films I've seen in the theatre this year (Daybreakers, Legion, Frozen, The Wolfman (2010), The Crazies, Cactus, Green Zone and Repo Men). Now, I liked most of those films a fair amount so I figured I'd be the target market. But as it turns out, I wasn't.

Kick-Ass stems on the question of why hasn't a regular person ever tried to be a superhero? Well, it's an interesting question. One that I've seen successfully explored in the fantastic Chilean martial arts film Mirageman, also been done with a comedic slant in the Canadian film Defendor. There's also Special, which is on my to see list. Hell, I saw it done in a Fringe play well over 10 years ago. But, I never like to dismiss something just because it's been done before, but I think it's fair to point out that is has been done before for people that might not know.

Now, how the use this idea in Kick-Ass is done pretty well, our protagonist Dave aka Kick-Ass played by Aaron Johnson goes through the journey of making himself a self-proclaimed superhero. I like journey films. Finding your inner strength is always a good thing, right? And it does this as it entertains us with humour and a lot of brutality.

And that's where it lost me - in the brutality. Now, if this was set in a super hero or fantastical world, that's one thing. But this film keeps bringing us back to the centre of reality every chance it can get, like a compass pointing to the magnetic north. So, things that's normally would fly by and be funny/entertaining in a fauxland of action cinema feels very different when you see is set in what is consistently called real. The film is completely aware and points out notions like consequence, remorse, pain, blood, etc. but then just treats it like action/comedy mode of craziness. Nothing really entertaining about that in my book. If they ignored concepts like remorse, that would be one thing. But to be aware of it and then ignore it so we can have more blood & mayhem, that just doesn't jive for me. Also, where are the hero factor here? The heroic intentions are almost non-existent and overshadowed but out & out crime world happenings along with revenge. Not very heroic. Add to that lots of focusing on women's chest and I knew even further that this film wasn't for me.

I'll give it points that it did surprize me, so kudos on the trailer for that. The plot was interesting and the characters were seriously messed up, but also very entertaining. Of course one big question was why was it Kick-Ass and not Hit-Girl? Chloë Grace Moretz steals every scene she is in and I'm sure knocked everyones socks off. She's not the protagonist, and Dave/Kick-Ass clearly is but this is really her show. Hit-Girl herself is a bit of a double edged sword too, because she's a tragically fantastic female character and I want to cheer for her but I couldn't, the brutality shut me out again here. But I'll be keeping my eye on Chloë Grace Moretz, which won't be hard as we'll be seeing her Let Me In (re-make of Let the Right One In / Låt den rätte komma in) which is scheduled to release October 2010.

There is a lot of love kicking around for Kick-Ass, but I'll prefer my super heroes a little more heroic and a little less bloody.

I'm always up for a thriller, even though I've never been a huge fan of mystery-types I wonder now if it's just because there is not enough good ones out there. Then we get The Square, which knocked even my pretty high expectations out of the freaking ballpark on all levels: amazing story, brilliant characters, chilling tension and fantastic performances.

The story line starts with the premise of regular folk tangling in committing a crime, and from there themes out to not only the how to's but also the who to's: who gets involved and various dynamics and conflicts that can create. Fascinating. It certainly kept me guessing and it was also very gutsy with it's choices. One of the things that I appreciated so much about the film was that it set itself in the land of reality and kept itself there. People who actually had reactions to horrible things, still had you know.. humanity in there. Empathy. Horror. Instead of stripping it down to only self-preservation, we actually see an actual array of emotions. Thank you!

The story itself is brilliant, but as it's a thriller/mystery I'm not going to reveal anymore than that because it's worth letting it unfold for you while watching. What I really took away from the film was the subtle depth of the characters. Often in mysteries we know we won't get the whole story at once, that's part of the whole 'mystery' thing, but in The Square there are many beautiful mysteries within the characters. Some of these mysteries are never explained, but they never feel confusing or like it's an inconsistency. It's like getting to know a real person, the depth of the relationship grows over time but you may never know or understand everything about them, yet they are still complete and whole. It's absolutely brilliant.

It's refreshing to see such a well-developed film, and one that sets the bar that much higher. I highly recommend checking it out.

Reason to see: Trailer looked astonishing + the film trilogy has had huge success already

Going in to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo / Män som hatar kvinnor, I knew it would be a harsh film just from reading reviews about people mentioning harsh content when they never do. Then I noted the literal translation of the title is Men Who Hate Women. That gives you more of a true sense of the film, but even so I didn't think it would be as harsh as it is. The hardest thing about it though, is the fact that the film is also brilliant. Often when things are very disturbing, they can also be easily dismissed as bad movies but this isn't, it's an excellent by each and every measure I can think of.

The film threads together a mystery story line that intersects with parallel journeys of two protagonists. The English title role is Lisabeth Sander, a hacker/rogue researcher played in a tour de force performance by Noomi Rapace. We're talking Oscar worthy performance here, not only in execution but also in terms of dealing with extreme situations. Our second protagonist is the fallen from grace investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist, played sensitively by Michael Nyqvist. Both of these characters are compelling and very human, and each is played very well and the actors reach amazing depths. The film has many depths, not only in character but also in story. The mystery is weaved throughout lengthy 2 1/2 hour running time at a remarkable brilliant pace, I hardly looked at the time at all while watching up just stared and stared at the screen letting the film unfold like a disturbingly beautiful flower.

The challenge with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is that it's a hard film to recommend. It's so harsh that I'm not sure I even want to be responsible for someone ending up seeing it, even though it's an excellent film, likely one of the best of the year. I don't regret seeing it, but if you are going to take the venture I'd advise to keep in mind that it have a central theme of victims & victimization along with a lot of deal breakers: extreme violence, sexual violence, torture, disturbing imagery, content & ideas. These are all contextual and never excessive or gratuitous, but are disturbing nonetheless.

The film is adaptation of the first in a book trilogy (followed by The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest) all by the late Stieg Larsson. All three films in the trilogy have been made, and English film re-make for the first in the trilogy is set for 2012. I imagine the English remake will be severely toned down.

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday April 23, 2010! Day after Earth Day

In limited release this week we have just three films being released but they all look interesting. First up is the Canadian film GravyTrain, a cop/crime comedy from the team that brought us Rock, Paper, Scissors: The Way of the Tosser, and they look like they are going to deliver us another hilarious film. The trailer was so awesome that I missed entire sections because I was laughing so hard. We also have the South Korean drama/romance My Dear Enemy / Meotjin haru which popped up out of nowhere - no posters, no trailers, no nothing on this one anywhere but it's hitting theatres today (revision: My Dear Enemy / Meotjin haru will be released May 14, 2010). Last but not least we have The Secret in Their Eyes / El secreto de sus ojos, the most recent Foreign Language Film Oscar winner and also has earned it's place on IMDb's Top 250 list (currently #199).

In wide release this week, first up we have yesterdays Earth Day release of the Disney documentary Oceans, which looks quite beautiful (disclaimer: haven't seen it, but I do tend to love films that are predominantely blue). And today we have two releases, both with their fair share of hijinks. Our second 'group of ragtag guys vs the odds' film of the year, The Losers, and it looks like a world of fun and I'll be sure to see this action flick starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen, "Supernatural"), Chris Evans (Sunshine), Zoe Saldana (Star Trek) and many more. We also have the latest rom-com with a pregnancy spin with The Back-Up Plan starring Jennifer Lopez and Alex O'Loughlin ("Moonlight", Whiteout).

We are also heading into one of the great sections on the Toronto festival calendar of the year, with Hot Docs starting next week. Be sure to swing by and check out my daily coverage of Hot Docs festival here at Movie Moxie from April 29 - May 9, 2010. It's a great festival that I highly recommend checking out.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Hot DocsCanadian International Documentary Film FestivalApril 29 - May 9, 2010 in various locations in Toronto, Ontario, CanadaSprockets Toronto International Film Festival for ChildrenContinues until April 23, 2010 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Thursday, 22 April 2010

Is it only me that thinks there is an amazing resemblance between the House of Wax (1953) and Gone with the Wind covers? Burning colour story, cute ties... it all fits! Mind you, I for one, would have loved to see Vincent Price as Rhett Butler. That would have been truly amazing!

And, side note - loved House of Wax (1953), classic horror goodness. Bizarre to see another '3D' film in 2D though, although it had obvious to the screen moments, it didn't go overboard with it. I actually even found it scary and if I had seen it as a kid it would have freaked me right out!

My first reaction to Werewolf of London was relief that it was awesome. After last weeks The Wolf Man (1941) I was getting a little worried about this howlalicious marathon, but now I'm feeling right back on track. After relief came surprize, as it's an American film! I initially assumed it was UK considering the whole 'London' in the title, but now that I think about it that is only thing (other than accents) that reads non-American. Foiled again.

As a first time viewing it reminded me of a few things - one of which is that I love films of the 30's! There is a lovely joie de vivre in them, a lightness in tone even when placed in a monster movie. Another thing that could be tied to the time is that the women in the film rock. None are them are overly prominate in the film, but they are all strong and very forward, often in a comedic element but lovely nonetheless. The protagonist of the film is botanist Dr. Glendon (played by Harry Hull), whom we follow in his journeys in science and their interesting effects on his world. This added a classic crazy scientist element to the film, even though the botanist isn't all that crazy it still gives it that great old school horror feel, which makes up for it not being all that scary. The effects were quite well done, and that was surprizing considering it's 6 years before The Wolf Man (1941), although similar techniques seemed to be used they are executed much better hear. Even the use of blocking is incorporated much smoother here.

I didn't find it played with themes too much, focusing much more on the story and journey of the characters. If anything, it does touch on the horror or remorse, a theme I think we'll find common in werewolf films. Considering this is the earliest film on werewolves I've found I'm very interested to see it's influence on the other werewolf films as we go along.

Three months of exploring Sword & Sandals films has come to a close. It was an interesting journey and I came away seeing a lot of fun films, and a few really great films. From Greek mythology to quests to historical figures to even historically set fictional tales, I enjoyed the adventure focus of male-dominated genre quite a bit. Great stories & heroes were a plenty and although I had favourites in every category I definitely was more taken by Greek mythology focused tales and historically set fictional characters. In the vlog I even go through the films one by one from fave to least fave. Enjoy!

Tuesday, 20 April 2010

Well I'll be, How to Train Your Dragon ends up coming back to attack in it's fourth week claiming top honours on the Canadian and Australian charts. I actually got out to see it and it's very charming with a great story and even in 2D the animation was gorgeous. Next up is one of the most hyped films of the year so far, Kick-Ass which went neck & neck with How to Train Your Dragon in the North America charts this weekend but Kick-Ass came on top with $19.83M to How to Train Your Dragons $19.63M. I actually thought Kick-Assmight have done a bit better considering how much buzz has been behind it, but it's still pretty impressive taking considering it's an R / 18A rated film.

Other new releases include Death at a Funeral (2010) landing in the top 5 in both Canada & North America, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoodebuted at #12 in Canada, The Joneses at #17 in North America. Over in the UK the top spot goes to their debut release of Dear John, which is rather a surprize if I do say so. But out of anywhere, I wish I was in Australia this week because they got the release of Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky which debuted at #16. Looks like we have to wait until June 25, 2010 before we get it here, although this week I did get my Aussie fix with the fantastic thriller The Square out in limited release.

Top 20 Movies in Australia for the April 15 - 18 2010 weekend1. How to Train Your Dragon2. Date Night3. Clash of the Titans (2010)4. The Book of Eli *5. Kick-Ass6. Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang7. The Last Song8. Alice in Wonderland (2010)9. Beneath Hill 60 *10. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo11. She's Out of My League12. The Spy Next Door13. The Blind Side14. Avatar15. The Last Station16. Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky *17. Micmas18. The Bounty Hunter19. Welcome20. The Hurt Locker

The biggie DVD of this week has to be Avatar, which continues to play by it's own tune by straying from the regular release date of the week and hits shelves this Thursday April 22, 2010.

But let's take a look at what's available today: DVD releases for April 20, 2010. Starting with the lovely & powerful The Young Victoria starring Emily Blunt and is a historical turn from C.R.A.Z.Y. director Jean-Marc Vallée. Another sensitive film in the lot is the compelling South Korean documentary Old Partner / Wyo-nang So-ri, which I was thrilled to see last year at Hot Docs. It follows a farmer, his wife and the ox that come between them. It's one heck of a documentary. Also in release is the Oscar winning Crazy Heart (Jeff Bridges for best Actor), family drama Summer Hours and Canadian comedy At Home By Myself ... with You starring Kristen Booth

One film that I'm sad to say that it look like it skipped the theatres here is 44 Inch Chest, starring Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, Tom Wilkinson, John Hurt and Stephen Dillane. It looks pretty freaking testosterone heavy, but that's one hell of a cast.

Few interesting UK TV DVD releases this week including season one of Merlin along with the Miniseries The Take based on the crime novel by Martina Cole and starting Tom Hardy (Bronson) and Brian Cox (Red).

Also out in release is the omnibus film New York, I Love You, Peter Jackson's latest The Lovely Bones and Canadian thriller Surviving Crooked Lake (previously titled Portage).